Review: All Guts No Glory #2 (of 3)

You know how the story goes; vampire bites girl, girl goes all vampy and then goes around seducing and biting all sorts of people. But what if there was a super secret team of monster hunters, who protect the world by killing all sorts of things that go bump in the night? Of course there would a support team in place to clean the area of this super secret supernatural war.

Craig and Jim are one such pairing. Craig is the old timer where Jim is still young enough to believe that he has future doing something important and worthwhile. The pair end up saving a newly turned vampire, Sara and in the process become responsible for trying to save her soul. Problem is Sara has major hunger pangs and the fangs to do something about it. The race is on, to save her soul or serve her as supper!

As you would expect from Zenescope, there is are a group of storytellers in the shape of Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini and David Wohl with Tedesco getting the nod as writer. You can tell that there are number of cooks stirring this particular broth as elements within the book tend to jump and coalesce, sometimes not quite as successfully as others. Is it a horror book, a comedy book? Is Jim the hero or the cmic relief? Is Sara the hero or the villain? The story is a pacy affair, with the dialogue working well through the various character interactions and set pieces. Jim is a kind of everyman type of character, Craig the skeptic world weary seen it all before character who tries to indulge and train Jim and of course Sara the confident college student who is ready to take on the world, even if it includes going to a Kurt Julius concert! I love the well observed reactions at the concert; you would think it was Rex Manning Day! The various world views add to the humour and contrasts of the situations, be they shared or individual.

The art is supplied by Jordi Tarragona over Guillermo Fajardo’s layout. There is a comedic vibe to the pencils that add to the enjoyment of the book. Chracters have emotive faces which helps sell the mood. Things can get a touch slapstick when Sara “vamps out”, but these are done sparingly to maximise the situations. Speaking of Sara, she is a sassy girl but is never drawn salaciously. Colors are provided by Walter Pereyra who manages the very different environments extremely well, dealing with night time, cemeteries, high school, concerts and the back of a van! Zenescope are known for their high production values; Pereyra adds to that reputation. Speaking of reputations, letters are provided by lettering guru Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios, who as you would expect, nails the font and tone perfectly. There are variosu covers around; it’s Zenescope so buyers choice win out.

I have to say that I thoroughly this madcap styled book. A touch of Lost Boys, Rex Manning and vampires; what’s not to like? Whilst Zenescope have their fans who love Grimm Fairy Tales, Robyn Hood et al, its good to see the publisher try different things in order to add their existing portfolio of established characters.

Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

Overall – 4 Stars

Story by; Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini & David Wohl
Written by; Ralph Tedesco
Art by; Jordi Tarragona
Layouts by Guillermo Fajardo
Colors by; Walter Pereyra
Letters by; Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios
Published by; Zenescope Entertainment

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network